In the Basin

In the Basin. . , Whether they were headed down the Delaware River or making return trips north, canal boats needed a place to wait in Bristol Borough. A five-acre Basin located between Lock 1 and the Tide Lock provided that space. Some boats were waiting to be gathered together and towed on the River. Others had cargo to be delivered directly to the businesses that stood on the north side of the Basin. Empty boats lined up until it was time to head up the Canal again., Changing Needs , When the Delaware Canal closed for business in 1931, the need for the Basin was gone. The decision was made to start filling it in. By October of that year, a nearly one-mile-long pipeline was pumping sand and mud from the Delaware River into the Basin. Twelve abandoned canal boats were buried in the silt. In the 1950's, the local business association obtained permission to fill in the remaining section. One and a half acres of solid ground were added to Bristol Borough in 48 hours., Today the municipal parking lot that serves Mill Street and Riverfront Park covers the area where the Basin once was.